Office 365 is the office productivity tool of choice because it has everything business users could possibly need. That said, most of them aren’t maximizing their Office 365 investment. That’s why we’re recommending some of the lesser-known and underused tools to help you work more efficiently.

Office 365 is the office productivity tool of choice because it has everything business users could possibly need. That said, most of them aren’t maximizing their Office 365 investment. That’s why we’re recommending some of the lesser-known and underused tools to help you work more efficiently.

SharePoint

SharePoint is the “communication sites” platform for building an intranet where you can upload and manage content. It’s customizable, feature-rich, and ideal for organizations that need an online library of information.

It’s a relatively new feature that allows you to add vibrant templates and visually appealing layouts to your company’s intranet, turning it into a highly dynamic and interactive page that staff will enjoy accessing for company announcements, to share updates, and more.

Teams

Microsoft Teams is an interactive workspace that lets users chat about specific projects. It’s a collaboration tool integrated with Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, so it’s an ideal alternative to SharePoint for employees who don’t need the latter’s more robust capabilities.

Yammer

Yammer is an easy-to-use social networking platform for companies where users can post status updates, create polls, and make announcements.

It’s also useful for sharing and co-authoring documents and discussing content from SharePoint and Skype for Business. Much like Facebook, it allows users to join interest groups where they can interact with members similar to how Facebook Groups works.

Planner

Planner is Office 365’s work management application that lets you create, organize, and assign tasks, share files, and chat about ongoing projects. While its functions seem similar to Teams’, Planner’s main purpose is to organize tasks and provide users with a visible and transparent platform for coordinating work. It’s primarily a business tool whereas Teams is more of a communication tool.

PowerApps

PowerApps lets you build custom applications with a minimum amount of coding involved. Although there are similar app-building tools on the market, PowerApps is especially useful for Office 365 users because it seamlessly integrates with O365 apps, including SharePoint, for easy access to your data already stored in the Office environment.

Flow

Flow is an intuitive tool that has built-in templates you can use to automate various tasks. Things like tracking hours worked, saving files from one SharePoint account to another, and creating calendar events are streamlined by Flow. And like all the aforementioned apps, Flow allows you to create workflows using files from OneDrive or SharePoint.

Whether you’re a new or a long-time Office 365 user, these programs and features are hiding in plain sight, and we’re here to help you explore and maximize them for your business. Call us today if you need expert recommendations for office productivity.

Windows 10 users are well aware of the fact that installing updates can take a long time. In fact, you’ll find many users venting about this issue in online forums and complaining to their service providers. So what kind of feedback are they getting, and why are Windows 10 updates so slow?

Why do updates take so long to install?
Windows 10 updates take a while to complete because Microsoft is constantly adding larger files and features to them.

Windows 10 users are well aware of the fact that installing updates can take a long time. In fact, you’ll find many users venting about this issue in online forums and complaining to their service providers. So what kind of feedback are they getting, and why are Windows 10 updates so slow?

Why do updates take so long to install?
Windows 10 updates take a while to complete because Microsoft is constantly adding larger files and features to them. For instance, the latest Fall Creators update, which made plenty of adjustments to Cortana, Photos, and Edge, can take upwards of four hours to install. And it takes even longer if you have a fragmented or nearly filled hard drive.

In addition to the large files and numerous features included in Windows 10 updates, internet speed can significantly affect installation times. This is especially true if your network is being overburdened by multiple people downloading the update at the same time.

If multiple downloads aren’t being attempted and you still experience slowness, then either some broken software components are preventing the installation from running smoothly, or apps and drivers that run upon startup are likely to blame.

When you experience any of these issues, try the following:

Free up storage space and defragment your hard drive
Because many Windows 10 updates take up a lot of space in your hard drive, you need to leave enough room for them. This means deleting files and uninstalling software you no longer need.

You’ll also want to defragment your hard drive, a process that organizes data on your hard drive so it can read and write files faster. While this may sound complicated, it’s actually as easy as pressing the Windows button and typing Defragment and Optimize Drives. From there, just select the hard drive, click Analyze, and if the drive is more than 10% fragmented, press Optimize.

Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
If broken software components are causing installation problems, this tool might be able to fix the issue and decrease download and install times.

Disable startup software
Before your update begins, you should also disable third-party applications that can potentially cause disruptions. To do this, press the Windows button again and type msconfig. In the System Configuration Window, go to Services, click Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all. Afterwards, access Task Manager (press Ctrl + Alt + Delete) and disable any startup program that might interfere with updates like an Adobe app or printer software.

Optimize your network
Sometimes a faster connection is all you need. Consider switching to fiber optic cables or purchasing more bandwidth from your internet service provider. It’s also a good idea to use bandwidth management tools to make sure enough network resources are reserved for things like Windows 10 updates, not bandwidth hogs like Skype or YouTube.

Schedule updates for low-traffic periods
In some cases, however, you may have to accept the fact that certain updates do take a long time. So instead of installing them during the day, schedule them for after hours when you’re not using your computers. Simply go to Settings and specify when you prefer updates to be installed.

If you need help with any of the tips above, we’re always here to help. Call us today to meet with our Windows specialists!

Back in 2017, Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus in the US, made a major security blunder that leaked millions of sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and credit card details. The company estimated that the data of 145.5 million people (almost half the US population) were exposed.

Back in 2017, Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus in the US, made a major security blunder that leaked millions of sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and credit card details. The company estimated that the data of 145.5 million people (almost half the US population) were exposed. But according to recent reports, there may be millions more affected by the leaks.

What happened?
On March 1, Equifax reported that the names and driver’s license numbers of approximately 2.4 million Americans were stolen. According to the company, sensitive information like home addresses, home states, or the license issue and expiration dates were not leaked. Equifax said these breaches were discovered only recently because their forensic investigations primarily focused on stolen Social Security numbers.

In response, the company said that anyone affected would be notified directly. They’re also now offering a security program designed to prevent identity theft and credit tampering. However, given the company’s poor track record, not many are willing to enroll.

When the company first announced the breach in September last year, the tool used to check whether an account had been hacked didn’t work and came up with false positives. Fortunately, there are other things you can do to protect yourself.

Monitor your credit
Consider looking through your credit reports for any suspicious spending. If you spot any new accounts, loans, and other payments you don’t recognize, contact your credit card company to report fraudulent transactions.

Check the dark web
Compromised data is often sold to the highest bidder on the dark web, so most Equifax data can probably be found there. To see whether your personal information has indeed been compromised, sign up for dark web monitoring services. Then consult with a security professional to discuss your options.

Place a credit freeze
One way you can prevent hackers from opening credit cards and making payments in your name is to freeze your credit. When you implement this, anyone masquerading as you will be required to provide a PIN to unfreeze your account. Contact the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to activate this service.

Set fraud alerts
When you set a fraud alert, credit card companies and businesses must verify your identity before opening an account or making any payments. Together with a credit freeze, alerts will make it extremely difficult for hackers to steal your identity.

Learn to identify phishing scams
Because Equifax is notifying data breach victims directly through email, hackers could take this opportunity to send fake messages that direct users to dangerous websites. As such, knowing how to identify phishing scams (suspicious URL links, attachments, and spelling errors) is vital.

Dealing with data breaches is a long and frustrating process, especially for businesses that just want to focus on growing their operations. So if you have any security concerns, call us today. We have the cybersecurity expertise to protect you.

Cellebrite claims that they have devised “undisclosed techniques” to unlock Apple devices running on any iOS operating system. The U.S. government contractor based in Israel recently notified clients of their ability to circumnavigate iOS protections that’s part of their new service for forensic specialists and law enforcement.

Cellebrite claims that they have devised “undisclosed techniques” to unlock Apple devices running on any iOS operating system. The U.S. government contractor based in Israel recently notified clients of their ability to circumnavigate iOS protections that’s part of their new service for forensic specialists and law enforcement.

iPhone vulnerabilities leaked, is it true?

A couple years ago, Apple had a showdown with the FBI regarding data privacy, and this prompted them to develop exceptionally secure mobile devices. But Cellebrite has crashed the party, developing several methods to access iPhone operating systems, including the most recent version.

The engineers are now promoting their methods to private forensics and law enforcement professionals around the world who would benefit from this new service. In fact, in November 2017, the Department of Homeland Security successfully raided data from the iPhone X, most likely through the use of Cellebrite technology.

Secure your business at all costs

To protect you from this potential security issue, here are a couple suggestions from tech experts:

Patching mobile devices is a crucial step for both businesses and consumers. For devices that cannot be patched, you must retire it to prevent risks.

Adopting a disaster recovery plan is vital. This way, you can limit how much damage a breached gadget can cause.

Only time will tell whether Apple’s reputation and the iPhone’s security really has been weakened. Still, it doesn’t mean that you should hold off on protecting your business. Use this news to give your technology an overhaul, improve your business processes, and update your employees’ security training.

Even with all the ingenious ways to hack into systems nowadays, you felt you could count on Apple to be one step ahead of everyone -- but that might not be the case anymore. Ensure that your privacy is secure and your files are still safe by strengthening your usual security practices. But if that's too technical for you, just give us a call and we’ll take care of it!

]]>5 ways to get the most from social mediahttp://www.bytecafe.net/2018/03/5-ways-to-get-the-most-from-social-media/
Mon, 12 Mar 2018 20:00:29 +0000http://bytecafe.bypronto.com/?p=10058

Regardless of your company's size, social media marketing is a fickle tool you can't afford to ignore, especially if your business targets Generation Z customers. Read on to discover five ways to get the most out of your social media.

#1. Choose the right platform

Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn to choose from, you may be tempted to sign up for more social media accounts than you’re ready to manage.

Regardless of your company's size, social media marketing is a fickle tool you can't afford to ignore, especially if your business targets Generation Z customers. Read on to discover five ways to get the most out of your social media.

#1. Choose the right platform

Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn to choose from, you may be tempted to sign up for more social media accounts than you’re ready to manage. It may not seem like much at first, but you'd be surprised by how quickly you can be overwhelmed by statuses, commenting on existing posts, and answering inquiries on every platform, which is why it’s better to adopt only a few platforms that can effectively attract your target customers.

Ask yourself these questions before deciding which platform to use:

Who is my target customer and what channels do they use?

What do I hope to gain by opening a social media account?

What kind of content do I want to share and create?

How much time can I devote to social media management?

#2. Know when to update

Are most of your customers online at 8am or 8pm? With a better understanding of your target users' habits, you can schedule your posts so they create more traffic, increase brand engagement and, eventually, generate new leads and customers.

Depending on which platform you choose to invest in, you should post a new update during these times for maximum engagement:

#3. Use attractive, professional-looking visuals

One of the simplest ways to get followers to share your posts is by uploading high-quality photos, videos, and reliable infographics along with your messages. Studies have shown that Facebook posts with images result in 39% more engagement while tweets with images or videos create 200% more engagement.

#4. Engage with your followers

It’s important for businesses to maintain a healthy back-and-forth on social media. This means beyond sharing useful content, you should also respond to their comments and private messages as quickly as possible. You can build stronger relationships with customers by writing thank you comments to anyone who shared positive experiences with your business, and by addressing negative comments with personalized and helpful responses.

#5. Pump the brakes on promotional materials

With social media becoming important tools for customers and businesses to connect and interact, it is important not to muddy the water with too many promotional posts. A rule of thumb for social media promotions is that 80% of your posts should be shareable and interactive content, while the remaining 20% should be about your business. This will result in more engagement, a more consistent brand image, and a healthier bottom line.

Social media can help your business succeed, but only if it’s used correctly and effectively. If you’re interested in adopting the right social media platform to increase engagement and create a stronger brand reputation, contact us today and we’ll help you get started.

Individual users find plenty to like about Amazon’s AI technology Alexa. It’s a great way to control smart home devices and perform small tasks like make shopping lists and answer phone calls. But Alexa also gets things done for business users, and here we’ll list some of the most useful.

Individual users find plenty to like about Amazon’s AI technology Alexa. It’s a great way to control smart home devices and perform small tasks like make shopping lists and answer phone calls. But Alexa also gets things done for business users, and here we’ll list some of the most useful.

Create and manage to-do and shopping lists
You have meetings to attend and deadlines to meet. Alexa has a straightforward To-do List feature that helps you stay on top of all your tasks. It’s ideal for busy professionals who prefer a no-frills checklist that allows them to simply view completed items, or to edit or delete items on the list.

You can also seamlessly sync third-party applications like Any.do and Todoist, which offer more features for organizing tasks, adding subtasks and folders, creating reminders, setting due dates, attaching files, and prioritizing items.

Alexa also has a default Shopping List that works exactly like the To-do List. It lets you add or delete items that can be browsed in the Amazon store and searched for in Bing.

Reorder office supplies
Ordering supplies on an Amazon smart home device is especially convenient because you would have already set up an Amazon account. When voice shopping with Alexa, you can either add items to your Amazon cart (“Alexa, add toner to my cart”) or directly order a single item (“Alexa, reorder toner”) without having to lift a finger.

When you place an order, Alexa checks product availability, walks you through Amazon search results, and asks you to confirm or cancel the order. Voice shopping is enabled by default, but it can be disabled in Settings > Voice Purchasing in the Alexa app.

Sync your calendars
One of the best ways to maximize Alexa in the office is to sync it up with your calendars. You can view scheduled appointments, set meetings, or have Alexa read the day’s entries with simple commands like “Alexa, what time is my next meeting?” or “Alexa, when is the company barbecue?”.

Select a calendar from the available platforms: Google (Gmail and G Suite), Apple (iCloud), or Microsoft (Office 365 or Outlook)

Log in to your account

Set a timer
A Pomodoro timer is a productivity enhancement tool that works by prescribing ideal work intervals and breaks. For example, you can set a timer that reminds you to take a 15-minute break for every hour worked, and setting this up in Alexa is easy.

To set a single timer:

Say “Alexa, set a work timer for 60 minutes.”

After the work timer finishes, say “Alexa, set a break time for 15 minutes.”

To set several timers at once, say:

“Alexa, create a work timer for 60 minutes.”

“Alexa, create a break timer for 15 minutes.”

The commands we’ve included here work for simple instructions, but you can modify them and use tons of other Alexa commands to suit your purpose. If you need recommendations on how you can work smarter with AI and other productivity tools, get in touch with us today.

Google constantly strives to boost user experience by regularly updating their series of tools and applications. This time around, they added a new feature to Google Drive wherein users can add a comment directly on the ‘Preview' pane of Microsoft Office files, images, and PDFs. Read on to find out how this can benefit your business.

Google constantly strives to boost user experience by regularly updating their series of tools and applications. This time around, they added a new feature to Google Drive wherein users can add a comment directly on the ‘Preview' pane of Microsoft Office files, images, and PDFs. Read on to find out how this can benefit your business.

To reduce the hassles

Google Drive allows your team to seamlessly share files in the cloud and work on the go. The tech giant knows that businesses require all types of tools and files to finish certain tasks and responsibilities efficiently. This is why they eliminated the stresses of converting a document into a G Suite equivalent file just to allow commenting.

To ease your responsibilities

Google decided to enable comments directly on Microsoft office documents, images, and PDFs without any need for conversion. This is particularly helpful when you’re working with another firm, negotiating a sales transaction with a supplier, or discussing a contract with a customer. In each case, you'd likely deal with different file formats.

To improve collaboration

The most recent update allows you to comment on various file formats in Google Drive, akin to how you do it in Google Docs. In Drive’s ‘Preview’ pane, you can assign tasks, mention colleagues, or add notes, and your team will be able to respond even if they don’t use G Suite.

For instance, when one of your colleagues opens an MS Word document on a Windows computer, he or she will automatically see the comments you added and have the chance to respond to it. Commenting on the ‘Preview’ pane won’t require you to open other applications or browsers just to finish your task. Instead, you can just open documents in its preview form, provide feedback, and get back to work.

Every now and then, Google releases new features on their host of tools and applications -- and it’s always for your benefit. Make sure you take advantage of these upgrades by regularly updating your G Suite. If this sounds too technical for you, or you really don’t have enough time to stay up to date, don’t hesitate to give us a call. It is always our pleasure to help you reach your bottomline in any way that we can.

For all the time we spend discussing the complexity of internet security, there are a few simple things you can do. Avoiding websites that aren’t secured with the HTTPS protocol is one of them. It’s a habit that can be developed with a better understanding of what the padlock icon in your web browser’s address bar represents.

For all the time we spend discussing the complexity of internet security, there are a few simple things you can do. Avoiding websites that aren’t secured with the HTTPS protocol is one of them. It’s a habit that can be developed with a better understanding of what the padlock icon in your web browser’s address bar represents.

HTTPS Encryption

Older web protocols lack data encryption. When you visit a website that doesn’t use HTTPS, everything you type or click on that website is sent across the network in plain text. So, if your bank’s website doesn’t use the latest protocols, your login information can be intercepted by anyone with the right tools.

HTTPS Certificates

The second thing outdated web browsing lacks is publisher certificates. When you enter a web address into your browser, your computer uses an online directory to translate that text into numerical addresses (e.g., www.google.com = 8.8.8.8) then saves that information on your computer so it doesn’t need to check the online directory every time you visit a known website.

The problem is, if your computer is hacked it could be tricked into directing www.google.com to 8.8.8.255, even if that’s a malicious website. Oftentimes, this strategy is implemented to send users to sites that look exactly like what they expected, but are actually false-front sites designed to trick you into providing your credentials.

HTTPS created a new ecosystem of certificates that are issued by the online directories mentioned earlier. These certificates make it impossible for you to be redirected to a false-front website.

What this means for daily browsing

Most people hop from site to site too quickly to check each one for padlocks and certificates. Unfortunately, HTTPS is way too important to ignore. Here are a few things to consider when browsing:

If your browser marks a website as “unsafe” do not click “proceed anyway” unless you are absolutely certain nothing private will be transmitted.

There are web browser extensions that create encrypted connections to unencrypted websites (HTTPS Everywhere is great for Chrome and Firefox).

HTTPS certificates don’t mean anything if you don’t recognize the company’s name. For example, goog1e.com (with the 'l' replaced with a one) could have a certificate, but that doesn’t mean it’s a trustworthy site.

Avoiding sites that don’t use the HTTPS protocol is just one of many things you need to do to stay safe when browsing the internet. When you’re ready for IT support that handles the finer points of cybersecurity like safe web browsing, give our office a call.

If you’re in the market for a new Android phone but overwhelmed with the number of options available, Google can help. They’ve recently published a set of standards of what constitutes a ‘business-friendly’ phone and has created a short list to help you decide.

If you’re in the market for a new Android phone but overwhelmed with the number of options available, Google can help. They’ve recently published a set of standards of what constitutes a ‘business-friendly’ phone and has created a short list to help you decide.

Google-approved devices
Recently, Google launched Android Enterprise Recommended to make it easier for businesses to find secure, cutting-edge devices they can confidently invest in. This program establishes minimum hardware, software, security, and user experience requirements for Android devices and services.

For instance, mobile devices in the program must be able to deliver security updates within 90 days of Google releasing them, for at least three years. This is an important requirement because the Android OS tends to get a lot of unwanted attention from hackers due to its open-source nature and the thousands of unregulated apps available in its Google Play store.

Beyond security, ‘enterprise-ready’ Android phones must have:

The capacity to support Android 7.0 Nougat or higher (at least 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 1.4 GHz processor)

Zero-touch enrollment, which allows businesses to deploy devices with company configurations and policies already in place

Seamless application experience across devices and accounts

Google also announced that requirements will change for each new version of Android OS, and vendors will have to submit their devices to be validated every time. Of course, if any device doesn’t meet compliance (or falls out of it), Google will remove it or even its manufacturer from the program.

What devices are recommended right now?
So far, the program has 21 enterprise-ready smartphones, including:

Google Pixel (Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL)

BlackBerry KEYone and Motion

Huawei (Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, P10, P10 Plus, P10 Lite, and P smart)

Nokia 8

LG G6 and V30

Motorola X4 and Z2

Sony Xperia (XZ1, XZ1 Compact, XZ premium, XA2, and XA2 Ultra)

Although it's the leading Android smartphone vendor, Samsung was not included in the list. However, this was only the first fleet of devices that were validated, and more devices will be added to the list throughout the year, according to Google.

So if you’re planning to implement remote work and bring your own device policies in the coming months, check the Android website regularly for new Google-approved devices. And if you need more advice about mobility solutions, contact us today. We have IT experts at your beck and call!

Hospitals and clinics have been storing confidential medical files and patient data in highly protected servers. But unless patches are being installed, Spectre and Meltdown attacks could undermine the security of healthcare providers.

Why is Spectre and Meltdown a big problem for healthcare providers?

Spectre and Meltdown are security flaws in computer chips that give hackers access to all data saved in the server, circumventing even encryption and multi-layered security systems.

Hospitals and clinics have been storing confidential medical files and patient data in highly protected servers. But unless patches are being installed, Spectre and Meltdown attacks could undermine the security of healthcare providers.

Why is Spectre and Meltdown a big problem for healthcare providers?

Spectre and Meltdown are security flaws in computer chips that give hackers access to all data saved in the server, circumventing even encryption and multi-layered security systems.

This is a problem for healthcare organizations because patient data and other medical information must be protected in accordance with HIPAA regulations. If hackers did use Spectre and Meltdown to hack servers, millions of private data -- including patient names, social security numbers, bank account numbers, and medical histories -- can be leaked over the Internet.

To ensure you servers stay HIPAA-compliant, there are three things you should do:

#1. Apply patches

One effective way to defend against Spectre and Meltdown flaws is by installing patches. Check your server manufacturer's website for the latest updates and install them right away. Although some are saying that these patches are causing systems to perform slower, it's still worth it if you want to avoid the hefty costs of noncompliance.

#2. Implement dedicated servers

A more cost-efficient method to prevent Spectre and Meltdown exploitation is by using dedicated servers. By having complete ownership of the server, you can control the security measures, software, and management of the server. You can also lower the risk of security breaches because no other organization will share your server and gain access to it accidentally, like what tends to happen with most public cloud services.

#3. Hire professionals

Due to the complexity of Spectre and Meltdown, healthcare providers are recommended to hire managed services providers (MSPs). Without adequate experience, you or your employees could accidentally disable security software and/or misconfigure servers.

For organizations with limited capital budget, MSPs can provide you Spectre and Meltdown solutions customized to your needs and budget. Experts will monitor and maintain your systems round-the-clock to address suspicious activities or security issues and ensure your servers receive the proper updates.

Eliminating Spectre and Meltdown flaws is critical for healthcare organizations. Our 24/7 experts can help you design appropriate data security solutions based on your business needs and available budget. If you’re interested in having secure data storage, give us a call today!